Instead of just frying up a piece of uncooked buckboard bacon for a salt test, heck, lets make something. I'm throwing some BBB on the smoker later today and decided to get creative with the salt test this morning. I had cured a Costco boneless butt for 10.5 days and there was one attached piece, about a pound, that was all thin, stringy, and really not worth smoking. I cut it up and used it for my salt test, then decided to make the potato recipe below. My wife and I loved it! This just became one of our breakfast favorites!

1. Either using pre-smoked or smoked buckboard bacon, cut the meat into 1/2" pieces and fry until crispy. This is a good way to use pre-smoked meat you are frying for a salt test. Set aside.

2. Wash the baking potatoes. Cube the potatoes to make 1/2" squares. Put the cut potatoes in a pan in cold water and stir around. The water will turn starchy. After a few minutes, put the potatoes in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Repeat once or twice more until the water remains clear after the potatoes have been sitting a few minutes in the pan. Drain the potatoes in the colander.

3. Put your frying pan on the stove, turn the heat on medium high, and once hot, add 2 Tbs bacon fat, clarified butter, or olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. If there is fat left over from the bacon no need to add more yet. Add the onion and peppers and saute until they just start to get soft.

4. Leave the heat on medium high, add 2 Tbs more of the fat then add the potatoes evenly distributed in the frying pan. Add the seasoned salt or rub and stir to coat.

5. Sprinkle the tops of the potatoes evenly with the flour then stir to coat. Add the cornstarch, then stir thoroughly to coat. Add a couple more Tbs of fat if the bottom of the pan gets dry.

6. Stir the potatoes every 3 minutes until nice and brown. Between stirrings cover with an opening to allow the steam to escape but to trap some of the heat. Usually takes about 20 minutes for the potatoes to be soft and ready.

7. Add the crispy buckboard bacon to the potatoes just before they are done. Stir to mix well.

8. Salt and Pepper to taste, or you can add more seasoning salt. Serve.

Thanks all! Easy to make but takes about an hour from start to finish with the prep. You could use regular bacon too, chopped up. I've been making country potatoes like this for years. I don't know why I didn't think of adding bacon before this morning but the BBB salt test was the inspiration.

Out of curiosity, why add the Flour and Cornstarch? I have been making and eating variations at home and in 2 Diners I managed. Never used the starch addition. Thought I was missing something and checked recipes for Country Fried Potatoes, Home Fried Potatoes and Potatoes O'Brian, over 30 different ones...No Starch... Sounds like one of those recipes in my family. A list of ingredients with measurments in Handfuls, Pinches and " Some ". The technique demonstated and past on from each generation. If you ask, " Why add, a handful of leftover Cold Mashed Potatoes? " Grandma would say, " That's just the way we always did it..." I miss Grandma......JJ

Out of curiosity, why add the Flour and Cornstarch? I have been making and eating variations at home and in 2 Diners I managed. Never used the starch addition. Thought I was missing something and checked recipes for Country Fried Potatoes, Home Fried Potatoes and Potatoes O'Brian, over 30 different ones...No Starch... Sounds like one of those recipes in my family. A list of ingredients with measurments in Handfuls, Pinches and " Some ". The technique demonstated and past on from each generation. If you ask, " Why add, a handful of leftover Cold Mashed Potatoes? " Grandma would say, " That's just the way we always did it..." I miss Grandma......JJ

Great question! Country potatoes are kind of a weekend staple around here. WAAAY back I was looking for a way to make the seasonings stick to the potatoes better. Flour popped into my mind but I wasn't sure how it would affect the potatoes. While researching I remember reading that cornstarch makes fried potatoes crispier. I thought "what the heck" and added them both purely as an experiment. The first time I tried it I didn't tell my wife I made the additions just to see if she'd notice. She said "I don't know what you did to the potatoes this morning but these are the best you've ever made." I told her what I did and have been adding the flour and cornstarch ever since. BTW, the above portions are just eyeball guesses. I don't measure either ingredient.

Speak of Grandmas, you just brought back a memory. My Italian Grandma, whom we only saw on occasion due to distance, used to make sliced fried potatoes. They never stuck together and were always crispy. I haven't thought about those potatoes until this moment. Unfortunately how she did it is long gone with her. I may have to try making the potatoes next time with sliced potatoes.

Just yesterday she popped into my mind as I was making the dough for Italian biga bread and pizzas I'll bake today. I wasn't measuring anything, just how she used to do it. I even told my wife "Grandma is probably smiling and proud of her grandson." I miss her too.

Great question! Country potatoes are kind of a weekend staple around here. WAAAY back I was looking for a way to make the seasonings stick to the potatoes better. Flour popped into my mind but I wasn't sure how it would affect the potatoes. While researching I remember reading that cornstarch makes fried potatoes crispier. I thought "what the heck" and added them both purely as an experiment. The first time I tried it I didn't tell my wife I made the additions just to see if she'd notice. She said "I don't know what you did to the potatoes this morning but these are the best you've ever made." I told her what I did and have been adding the flour and cornstarch ever since. BTW, the above portions are just eyeball guesses. I don't measure either ingredient.

Speak of Grandmas, you just brought back a memory. My Italian Grandma, whom we only saw on occasion due to distance, used to make sliced fried potatoes. They never stuck together and were always crispy. I haven't thought about those potatoes until this moment. Unfortunately how she did it is long gone with her. I may have to try making the potatoes next time with sliced potatoes.

Just yesterday she popped into my mind as I was making the dough for Italian biga bread and pizzas I'll bake today. I wasn't measuring anything, just how she used to do it. I even told my wife "Grandma is probably smiling and proud of her grandson." I miss her too.

Don't know if this will help:

Hmmmm, around here, in restaurants, throughout my family (including Mrs Bear), the Taters get Baked first, then sliced & fried. Then crispy depends on how long you fry them. Most of the Restaurants call them "Home Fries".

Hmmmm, around here, in restaurants, throughout my family (including Mrs Bear), the Taters get Baked first, then sliced & fried. Then crispy depends on how long you fry them. Most of the Restaurants call them "Home Fries".

Bear

Will have to try that with sliced potatoes. When I do hash browns I shred, triple rinse, spread them out on a paper towels and kind of dry them with another paper towel, then stick them in the microwave for 3 minutes. Sounds like it is doing something similar.